Over the past few
weeks the newest bigger and better device has invaded electronic store shelves:
3D TV. Up to this point 3D entertainment has been mostly confined to theaters,
with the exception of occasional 3D DVD releases and TV specials where you have
had to suffer through wearing a pair of cardboard glasses with red and blue
plastic lenses.

Now television
screens are offering the same (and many believe, even better) 3D viewing
experience you have been enjoying in theaters. Unlike theatrical glasses, which
are similar to polarized sunglasses, the special glasses used for television
displays are "active," meaning each lens alternatively changes from opaque to
transparent in sync with the TV screen. The cost for admission into this depth
defying realm isn't cheap -- but you can bet once the early adopters are
satisfied, both the flat panel displays and glasses will decrease in price
considerably... and the quality will likely continue to rise.

Even at this early
stage, many program producers want to be the first to offer images that appear
to protrude from the screen. For the select few with the right stuff, the Master
Golf Tournament was available in 3D. Also in March, an NHL game between the two
New York rival teams was made available in 3D.

That's just the
beginning. ESPN is looking to start
the industry's first 3D network. The sports channel is looking to show at
least 85 live sports events during the first year, beginning with the first 2010
FIFA World Cup match on June 11. Also looking for a June debut,
DirecTV is unveiling three dedicated channels that will be "presented by
Panasonic" for the first year they are on the air. The trio of channels will be
made available to all DirecTV HD subscribers.

What once appeared
to be a nascent technology that has come and gone over the past fifty years,
truly seems poised to explode. But is it all good news?

I must admit my
bias. As a wearer of glasses I find occasionally viewing a single 3D
movie to be a cool experience, but even Avatar's over two-hour running
time tested my patience and left my eyes tired and my head feeling a little
worse than a bad day at the office. Certainly the experience has improved over
the past few years, but I have discovered I'm not the only one who leaves the
theater feeling a little motion sick and stressed.

But another more
pressing question, in my mind, is what are the effects of prolonged 3D viewing
on young viewers whose eyes are still developing? An occasional 3D movie may not
be damaging, but what about four hours or more of 3D TV? And you can be certain
3D video games are the next genre to take advantage of this new technology. That
could mean literally hundreds of hours of time spent in front of a 3D display in
the period of a month or two.

In the
February 8, 2010 New York Times, science and health journalist Anahad
O'Conner explained why we often leave 3D movies with tired eyes. Summarizing a
couple of studies, O'Connor explains that viewing 3D media forces our eyes to
perform an "uncoupling of two natural processes that -- over the course of a
long movie -- can be stressful."

The problem lies in
the difference between reality and virtual worlds. In reality when an object
approaches our eyes, two things happen. The eyes converge as the object comes
closer, and the lenses in each eye adjust to keep the object in focus. But when
we are sitting in a movie theater (or in your family room) 3D movies fool our
eyes into thinking the object is approaching our face. This causes (quoting
O'Connor) "sensory conflict" because our eyes will converge to follow the
object, but our lenses are still focused on the screen -- which (in a movie
theater) may be 100 feet or more away.

Even with this
artificial uncoupling, according to Dr. Dominick Maino, a Professor of
Pediatrics specializing in Binocular Vision, and speaking on behalf of The
American Optometric Association, there is "currently no evidence to support the
belief that 3D movies harm the eyes."

Asking my questions
to Dr. Maino in an interview, he does confirm that this new technology, "can and
does ... cause eye strain, double vision, headaches and even nausea" adding "it
literally hurts to see." However, Dr. Maino reminds us, "There are very few
studies looking at the effect of 3D movies and television on the eyes and
adverse affects."

Like any other
vision concern, Dr. Maino reminds parents who may be concerned about the effects
of 3D viewing to ensure their children receive regular comprehensive eye
examinations that include an assessment of the binocular vision system.

"[Eye exams] should
be done at least once a year while a child is in school," advises Dr. Maino.
"Parents may also want to limit 3D television/video game viewing time as well,"
he suggests, advising that "by doing both of these activities (comprehensive eye
examinations and limited viewing) parents will ensure that their children will
have ... healthy and comfortable two-eyed vision that will make all their
activities much more enjoyable."

Finally, Dr. Maino
says, "If family members do begin suffering from eye strain, double vision or
any other symptoms associated with 3D movie viewing, they should know that
optometric vision therapy can help correct the problems causing the pain."

Obviously, as is
often the case, common sense prevails. If a 3D TV is on its way into your home
over the next year, you would be wise to limit 3D viewing time perhaps even more
aggressively than what you may already allow for standard "2D" television. And
keep tabs on who is suffering from eyestrain. A visit to your family optometrist
may help.

Now if we can find
some scripts that reflect the same depth we will be seeing on these new
flat screened wonders, television will truly be moved into a new dimension.

Rod Gustafson

Besides writing this column for the Parents Television Council, Rod Gustafson authors Parent Previews® - a newspaper and Internet column (published in association with movies.com) that reviews movies from a parent's perspective. He's also the film critic for a major Canadian TV station, various radio stations and serves on the executive of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. Finally, his most important role is being the father to four wonderful children and husband to his beautiful wife (and co-worker) Donna.

Parents Television Council,
www.parentstv.org, PTC,
Clean Up TV Now, Because our children are watching, The
nation's most influential advocacy organization, Protecting
children against sex, violence and profanity in
entertainment, Parents Television Council Seal of Approval,
and Family Guide to Prime Time Television
are trademarks of the Parents Television Council.